At The Jazz Band Ball

AN INVENTIVE PROJECT from Echoes of Swing and guests, this double-CD tribute to early 20th Century cornettist and composer Bix Beiderbecke illuminates the brilliance of his work.

Sample a few bars of the historical mono recordings of Beiderbecke’s own performances with jazz orchestras of the 1920s (the useful reason for the second, complementary, ten-track CD provided in this release), and the sound world of rip-roaring, flapper-style jazz is immediately evoked. But the main feature of BIX (CD1), directed by pianist Bernd Lhotzky, sets out to refashion for a current generation – as well as inspire new compositions – selections from the output of a young American musician (perhaps the Miles Davis of his day) whose genial talent would astound audiences. That was until ill-health – reportedly caused by the pressures of recording and performing, along with persistent alcoholism – resulted in his death, in 1931, at the early age of 28.

The newly-recorded clarity of Beiderbecke favourites is delivered by a core line-up of piano, alto sax, cornet/trumpet and drums, with trombone, guitar double bass and the occasional vocal adding a rich depth of colour. Immediately, new interpretations (rather than carbon copies) pull into focus this music’s relevance, almost a century on; and the fourteen tracks, across a full hour, also include a few surprises – for example, Antônio Carlos Jobim clothed in ’20s attire and a soul bossa groove for period piece Jazz Me Blues. The original, dry mono, clarinet-embellished exuberance of At the Jazz Band Ball is repainted in relaxed swing with great attention to dynamics and balance; I’m Coming Virginia‘s new, Brubeck-styled 5/4 groove is inspired, introducing deliciously shaped vocal and effervescent trombone solo from Shannon Barnett; and Rodgers & Hart’s playful Thou Swell (enjoy the crackly 78rpm with croaky baritone sax) seemingly hits the railroad in alto saxophonist Chris Hopkins’ gently propulsive, chuffing arrangement which intertwines Barnett’s trombone with the cornet of Colin T Dawson.

Bernd Lhotzky’s At Children’s Corner cleverly and sympathetically weaves together themes from Debussy’s piano original (Beiderbecke was a fan of the French composer), with Hopkins’ dreamy alto, between the cakewalking frivolity, a real pleasure. So too is Nix Like Bix, Shannon Barnett’s teasing, swooning trombone-and-bass take on Blue River; and as to the acquaintance of Chris Hopkins’ own The Boy from Davenport with Jobim’s The Girl from Ipanema – well, right there, Bix could be in the mix! I’ll Be a Friend with Pleasure (from the pen of Maceo ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ Pinkard) invites lyrical crooning from Pete York, and perennial Ol’ Man River (Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II) briskly captures the mood of the great cornettist’s era with sparkling stride piano from Bernd Lhotzky and a pin-sharp pairing of trumpet and alto sax.

Whether listening to Beiderbecke’s music as an enthusiast, or perhaps approaching from an altogether different angle, Echoes of Swing’s ‘new light through old windows’ is unexpectedly and heartwarmingly delightful (as is the 1927 solo recording of Bix Beiderbecke at the piano which concludes the 2-CD set).